Stage Struck (1925) User Reviews

Swanson as dowdy waitress in love

[rubin-7 · 7/10 · 25 July 2003]

Gloria Swanson stars as "Jenny," a clumsy and unsophisticated waitress in love with her flap-jack flipping co-worker "Orme." Only problem is, Orme only has eyes for actresses. When the yearly (?) showboat glides into their West Virginia town with its show and new actress, Orme is smitten. Jenny, who has secretly been working on getting a correspondence course certificate in acting, tries to imitate the showboat actress but fails miserably. But she is given her chance to prove her acting chops ... Throughout Swanson works some real pathos into this slapstick comedy. She's generally terrific throughout. The story gets a bit convoluted at times, but this is a pretty enjoyable flick that begins with a Salome performance in Technicolor! Check it out if you get the chance.

Inventive and Funny

[matthewssilverhammer · 7/10 · 24 June 2018]

A sad waitress falls in love with dim douchebag and must pretend to be an actress to win his affection. It's archaic, but man is it inventive. The camera's perspective does a ton of the heavy lifting, effectively creating many of the cinematic tools we've come to expect at this point (hard cuts, close ups, depth and scope). Swanson is also way ahead of her time; really lives her character, both the helplessly zany humor and the deeply sad obsessions.

"I Was Only Trying to Be Funny"

[HarlowMGM · 6/10 · 8 August 2022]

I am a huge Gloria Swanson fan but I was a little disappointed with STAGE STRUCK. La Swanson, of course, was the premiere glamour girl of the silent screen, the stylish queen of romantic dramas but she was a good comedienne too and as an actress always wanted to expand her range. Here she goes into Mabel Normand territory with uneven results. Her looks played down dramatically, she's a waitress in a frenzied riverfront hash house who secretly pines for the dump's pancake maker Lawrence Gray. He on the other hand is obsessed with actresses, and when a riverboat docks in town is bewitched by the diva on the showboat, Getrude Astor.

There are some funny moments here, but this is rather low comedy for the elegant Swanson. Many of the gags are straight out of the playbook for earthy two-reel comedies. Kudos to her bravery for allowing her to be photographed unflattering (of course in her fantasy segments, she is as glamourous as ever) but it's not the Swanson her fans wanted and it's notable she never made another picture in this vein again. Lawrence Gray actually comes off better as the handsome small-town heart throb, alas his film career didn't really go anywhere. His character's revelation at the end does not ring true though.

I have to confess I was disappointed that the movie was not what I was hoping for, a comedy spin on Katharine Hepburn's drama "Morning Glory" with Gloria being an ambitious wanna-be actress. Here, she's mainly interested in pursuing acting only because Lawrence Gray is obsessed with such women, his room walls papered with pictures of them. The Kino print is wonderful though, with early Technicolor footage in it's opening and closing scenes. The title of my review comes from Gloria's frequently repeated comment after her various attempts at attention literally have her falling on her face.

Hilarious Gloria Swanson Comedy

[drednm · 16 October 2006]

Excellent Gloria Swanson comedy about a hapless waitress (Swanson) who'll do anything to catch the eye of handsome wheat-cake flipper (Lawrence Gray), who calls her "Mouse." Film starts out with a beautiful 2-strip Technicolor fantasy that depicts Swanson's daydreams about being a great actress. She is seen is a series of fabulous costumes, playing greats parts like Salome. As the red-haired Salome bends to kiss the cold dead lips of John (on a silver platter) the film switches to B&W as the platter turns into a tray covered by plates of steaming food. Swanson is trying to work thru the diner throngs to deliver the food.

The plot revolves around her crazy stunts in an attempt to attract Gray. But after the river show boat steams into town with a glamorous actress (Gertrude Astor) Swanson is determined to get on the stage. With the help of the boat owner (Ford Sterling) she finally gets her wish and is billed as the Masked Marvel in of all things a female boxing match.

This film is zany and fast-paced and sweet-natured and 25 years before I Love Lucy. Stage Struck is a total pleasure. Swanson is just excellent, seems to be doing all her own stunt work, and looks great. The opening color sequences are gorgeous, and the closing color sequence (happy ending of course) is a lot of fun.

It's easy to see why Swanson was so popular in the 20s.

Gloria Swanson -- Why she was a major star!

[channinglylethomson · 9/10 · 9 July 2005]

I saw this film today at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (10th Annual). I'd never seen Gloria Swanson in one of her silent films, knowing her mainly for her work in SUNSET BOULEVARD where she appeared under the direction of master Billy Wilder. Having seen STAGE STRUCK (directed by Alan Dwan), one immediately sees that Miss Swanson was a major acting talent and a superb comedienne with terrific timing. Moreover, she really knew how to "work the camera." Her performance is so modern, clever, and smart in a very cinematic way that you'd think she was born to be a movie star! Put aside your preconceptions of the typical silent screen actress and check out this performance if the opportunity arises. The print we saw today was a restoration by the George Eastman House in New York.

Peas and love

[remixam · 10/10 · 22 August 2018]

The whole scene where Jenny and Orme end up shelling peas together thrills me. The comings and goings between the kitchen and the dining room are elaborated in the most efficient and simple way (though the striking close-up of Swanson's face peeping through the serving hatch is arguably an unfortunate choice that disrupts the balance of the scene) as if for the sole purpose of introducing the subsequent non-event, when the whirl of half-lies vanishes into the knowing tenderness of a blissful moment. Orme's gentle gesture when he takes a seat to join Jenny in the shelling party is striking for its surprising freshness and spontaneity. The lovely minute that follows is disarmingly simple, fading out in a murmur of awkward smiles and artless confidences with no superfluous coda. No room here to set up an effect, as if Dwan imprinted his signature through the absence of any commentary over what is shown. And it's not a piece of Americana, nor a cheap domestic satire; it's just Orme and Jenny being there together, with no before or after. We did not have to wait for the Nouvelle Vague to film a young couple talking about love and death in a kitchen as if they were in their home.

A woderful Gloria Swanson film classic

[mmcgee282 · 10/10 · 15 April 2018]

I have been waiting to see this film,since 1975,when they had an anniversary special of Paramount picture,hosted by Gloria Swanson.That's when a.b.c showed the technicolor clip from stage struck.This is when I discover that the silent era used Technicolor.I already had knew about toll of the sea,but I saw the color scene.Finally Kino Lorber and paramount had finally released after a 43 year wait.Paramount home video when they released the 10 commandment,1923,on VHS in 87,they had enhanced the two color technicolor sequence with a third color,messing it up.On DVD version the scene was printed in b and w and the color sequence was put separately on another part of the menu,still enhanced.Fortunately the two technicolor sequences were left alone and as described in the book,"Dawn of Technicolor,the prologue used color lights on a black n white set.Although this could have been Paramount's second Technicolor feature,"Wanderer of the wasteland was their first a year earlier.'The problems that technicolor were having in quality and keeping up with demands and probably Gloria's salary prohibited this.Although the exterior shots were made in the Astoria studios in New York,it was shot on location in New Martinsville W.V. Alan Dwan used a lot of the locals as extras in the exterior shot's,this included a show boat.Ms Swanson had earlier ,in her career, was being promoted as a sex symbol by Demille.She got fed up with that and really wanted better acting roles.She had found Allan Dwan as the director who new her talent.In this film she does not play a glamorous role.She is a waitress name Jenny.There a funny scene where she is juggling a tray with 4 order on top of each other This film and many other films that were produced i on the west and east coast were now under the influence of the hays code because of the Fatty Armbuckle case.Film had to have a moral ,based on old testament Christianity.This film was on of them.The character were hokum in this film.No character did any thing seriously wrong.Gloria's character was simple.She had no ambition,but, to be her boyfriend's eventual wife,played by Lawrence gray, who plays Orme Wilson,who is a pancake cook at the working class restaurant.He finds actress appealing.This makes Jenny made,so she attempts to learn acting in order to get his attention.Gloria's Character has no desire to really become an actress,but,only to get attention from Orme.Then comes the bad guys.The manager of the show boat.played by Ford sterling,who's character isn't all that bad,he is in love with his drums,the actress played by Gertrude Astor,whom I was not ware of her height,until now,very tall.The show boat puts on."Uncle Tom's Cabin.Gloria schemes to draw Lawrence away from Gerty.From purposely cutting her finger to prevent Lawrence form making a date with the actress.The scene where Gerty and Gloria in which Gloria is wearing a sock to cove her face up to be mysterious, are having a boxing match on the stage before the play starts is the funniest too.Salome, Jenny's lack of ambition.The two character played by Ford Sterling and Gertrude Astor,not so goo ,but not so bad characters,were reflecting the hays code morality for so clean decent film for the family!which painted Hollywood an illusion of being moral.i think Astor's and Sterling's characters would have been more bad if it wasn't for the hays code.Nerveless this is a piece of film history and was worth the wait and an early use of technicolor in silents that has survived the ravages of time.There is a paper essay that come with this . 04/14/18

Swanson shines!

[xan-the-crawford-fan · 9/10 · 30 August 2021]

Unlike many people, I had seen Gloria Swanson in some silent films and early talkies before I watched Sunset Boulevard (a film which still gives me nightmares). I knew that she was a very good dramatic actress with a lot of star quality, but I was surprised to find that she was a comedienne.

Even if you didn't know about her starting in Keystone comedies, her very good comedic timing still shines through. Her acting style is ahead of its time- she could convey emotion using only her face without descending into over-the-top spastic acting like some of her contemporaries. Her character of Jenny is adorable.

Her pratfalls and jokes do not seem forced, her dreams, aspirations and love for Orme (what kind of a name is that) come across like real emotions.

Jenny is a simple waitress, desperately in love with Orme, the pancake flipper. She secretly does his washing, even buying him a new, expensive shirt when she accidentally ruins his.

He, however, has a thing for actresses, so she decides to become an actress (using acting lessons by mail). Slapstick antics are persistent throughout the film- there's one scene where Jenny takes over Orme's pancake stand that is very funny. The ending scenes are also a hoot.

Will love triumph over paper idols? You'll have to see this film to find out.

Swanson was a unique looking woman, with those unique light-coloured eyes, so it's funny that Orme doesn't realize that she may be a catch sooner.

The first and last scenes are shot in two-strip technicolour, and pretty well at that. The opening has Swanson, as an actress (in a daydream) doing a Salome impersonation.

Liked it

[irearly · 14 February 2023]

Saw this about 5 years ago at the Paramount in Seattle with organ accompaniment. It's great. Paramount (the production company) obviously wanted to get some of that Charlie Chaplin loot and so crafted this vehicle for Ms. Swanson. She's a total pro and the resultant comedy, physical, visual, cultural and cinematic plays out, as mentioned elsewhere, with Technicolor sequences an unexpected bonus. It's entertaining no matter what format you might view it in but catch it in a theater, with good musical accompaniment, if you can.

Actually I'm going to the Paramount tonight to see It with Clara Bow. The Paramount has one of the last extant house organs (full pipes, effects and percussion) in the country.